Air conditioning method



Aug. 23, 1938. M. BARUCH ET AL 2,127,582

AIR CONDITIONING METHOD Original Filed Aug. 8, 1936, 2 Sheets-Sheet 1INVENTORS MILTON BARUCH J QALPI-I E. PHILLIPS,

ATTORNEYS ooeoecmes 090900090 1938- M. BARUCH ET AL AIR CONDITIONINGMETHOD Original Filed Aug. 8, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 J .5 VOL.

.8 VOL. ,9 r04.

l2 BYM 2.5m s n" N um. I EWHW% WE fresh air.

Patented Aug. 23, 1938 2,127,582 I AIR CONDITIONING METHOD MiltonBaruch, Los

' Phillips, Vi

Angeles, and Ralph E. ewpark, Calif.

Original application August 8,1936, Serial No.

Divided and this application January 4, 1938, Serial No. 183,316

1 Claim ume of air through the space under treatment,

continuously withdrawing a portion of such air and replenishing thevolume with a corresponding quantity of fresh air while maintaining the15v volume of air under circulation at a desired temperature andrelative humidity. One of the principal reasons for employing a systemof this character resides in the energy economies obtainable thereby inthat it is only necessary to extract that 20 proportion of heat andmoisture from the air.

withdrawn from the space under treatment which is represented by theheat and moisture disseminating agents within such space, and tocompensate for the heat. and moisture of the added Such recirculatingsystems are relatively expensive of installation and operation, and donot provide any method of replenishing fthe oxygen content of the airwithdrawn from the space under treatment and recirculated into 30 thespace. In addition, these systems ordinarily do not have a satisfactorymethod of removing odors, smoke, or other objectionable contaminants inthe air.

In view of the above, one of the particular ob- 35 jects of the presentinvention is to provide a method adapted for continuously supplyingconditioned fresh air to a space under treatment, while maintaining theenergy consumption of the system at adesired low level.

40 A further object of the invention is to provide a method forsupplying a volume of cooled and conditioned air to a space undertreatment and .to utilize this volumeof air after passing the samethrough said space in a heat exchange 45 treatment of the air suppliedto such space.

Another object of the invention is to provide an air-conditioning systemwhich may utilize the once cooled'and contaminated air exhausted from adwelling or other space under treatment 50 for the purpose of coolingthe incoming air in the absence of direct contact between the exhaustedand incoming air, whereby contamination of said incoming air isavoided.

Another object of the invention is to provide 55 an air-conditioningsystem including a cooling means of the water evaporation type inassociation with an auxiliary refrigerating means arranged to providedehumidification and/or additional cooling ofthe volume of air undertreatment in such manner that the auxiliary refrig- 5 erating meansoperates only when the moisture content of the air in the space to betreated is such that a dehumidification or additional cooling isrequired, whereby the major portion of the cooling effect is obtained bythe first-mentioned cooling means and the auxiliary refrigerating meansoperates only under abnormal conditions. This apparatus arrangementprovides for the energy economies of a cooling means of thewater-evaporation type under all normal operating conditions and alsoprovides the benefits of a dehumidiiying type of apparatus underabnormal conditions, together with an economy of installation which maynot be attained with the conventional refrigerating type ofair-conditioning unit.

According to the method of the present invention, in a simpleembodiment, atmospheric air is passed through a suitable heat exchangemeans whereby such air is reduced in temperature and increased inrelative humidity without increasing its absolute humidity. The cooledair is then introduced into a dwelling or other space to be conditionedeither with or without further refrigeration. This air may then bewithdrawn from the dwelling and passed through an evaporation typecooler for the purpose of cooling a body of water or other suitable heattransfer agent which is circulated through the heat exchange device'through which the volume of air is passed as above described innon-contacting relation with' the heat transfer agent circulated in saidheat exchange device. exhaust air through the evaporation cooler willcause a relatively large increase in relative hu- '4 midity thereof, andwhile this air is still cool, its relatively high humidity will make itunsuited for introduction into a dwelling space, and for this reason wepreferably pass the air from the evaporation cooler into the attic orotherwall space of a building to provide an insulating blanket of coolair.

Apparatus which is useful in carrying out the method of the'presentinvention may comprise, essentially, a system of ducts and air-supply 5means such as blowers,-in association with a cooling means whichpreferably includes a heat exchange means adapted to effect a chillingof a body of air passed therethrough without increase in the bsolutemoisture content thereof,

.13. 2,127,582 y and an evaporation type cooler of a preferred cooler asabove described, together with additionconstruction adapted to receiveair exhausted a1 atmospheric air. Referring to this arrangefrom thespace under treatment and employ I ment, a blower is shown at A providedwith a the same in an evaporation treatment of a body discharge duct 0.leading into a heatexchanger of Water or fluid which is circulatedthrough the B and thence through a refrigerator R and firstmentionedheat exchange means in a nonthence into the space C to be subjected totreatcontacting relation with the air passing therement. Therefrigerator R is provided with a through. suitable power unit indicatedat R. Air is with- Other objects and advantages of the present drawnfrom the space C through a duct e to the invention W111 be more fullybrought out in the inlet side of a second blower A, the inlet side offollowing specific description thereof, or will be which alsocommunicates with the atmosphere apparent therefrom. In the accompanyingso that the air discharged therefrom constitutes f drawings we haveshown flow sheets which illusall of the air withdrawn from the space Cplus trate the practice of the method of the present an additionalquantity of atmospheric air. The invention and a preferred type ofcooling means discharge from the blower A passes through a usefultherein, and referring thereto: duct a into an evaporation tower F andis then Fig. 1 is a flow sheet of a simple example of the preferablydischarged to the attic space G or practice of the present invention;the like through a duct f, as described in con- Fig. 2 is a flow sheetof a more involved pracnection with Fig. 1. Within the cooling towertice of the present invention, in which a high Fa body of water or othercooling agent is cooled energy efiiciency may be maintained;, by theaction of the air supplied to said tower Fig. 3 is a sectional sideelevation of an evapoand this water is passed in heat-exchangingrelaration cooler according to the present invention, tion to theincoming air within the heat-extaken on line 33 in Fig. 4; changer B andrecirculated to the tower F for Fig. 4 is a sectional front elevationthereof further cooling.

taken on line 4-4 in Fig. 3; It will be appreciated that therefrigerator R Fig. 5 is a sectional plan view thereof taken on isadapted to function both as chilling agent line 55 in Fig. 3; wherebythe temperature of the air from the Fig. 6 is a flow, sheet of a furtherexample of cooler B is reduced to a desired low level, and as thepractice of the present invention; and a dehumidifier. The dehumidifyingaction is obthe apparatus of the present invention. the atmosphericconditions are in general such In Fig. 1 we have shown a blower or thelike A, that additional cooling is not required a dehudischarge the samethrough two branch conduits stituted for the refrigerator. For example,we a and a. The branch conduit a passes through may use a body ofabsorbent material such as a heat exchange cooler B and thence into thesilica-gel or the like. It will further be apprecool a body of waterwhich is employed in a heatthe space C rises to a point above thatdesired, exchanging, non-contacting relation with the air the thermostatt will start operation of the power effect of the system as a whole.operate to start the refrigerator R and secure the The cool air suppliedthrough B into the space desired dehumidifying elfect. In the event thatC will escape from said space through the norsome other form ofdehumidifying means is emmal openings in the building, such as windowsployed in place of the refrigerator R, it will be and doors, or specificopenings may be provided apparent that the humidostat h may be employedin the space for the escape of such air. The to effect a control of thecirculation of the airair supplied to the attic G through the duct dflow through the dehumidifying means. will escape through theconventional ventilating In view of the fact that the space C will notbe louvres or the like provided in attic spaces, prefabsolutely airtight, the volume of air withdrawn erably at points removed from theinlet of the through the duct e will not be equal to that supduct d. Theescape of air from the spaces C and plied to the space C. In generalhowever, we find Gis indicated diagrammatically by arrows. it feasibleto remove approximately 80 per cent Fig. 2 illustrates an arrangementwhich proof the air supplied to a space under treatment, vides for theintroduction of a cooled volume of and under such circumstances, onlyabout 20 per air to a space undergoing treatment, the withcent of makeupair is required at the blower A. drawal of cooled air from such spaceand the The proportion of air which is lost from the space via passagethereof through an evaporation type C is indicated by the small arrowsat the left side 75 tion of inlet of air through the ,baskets or troughsI8 and 1, the duct fof'the figure. air supplied from the tower into thespace G will escape from such spacethrough the conventional openingsdicated by the heavy arrows.

Referring to Figs. 3 and 5, a cooling device which may be used inpracticing the method of the present invention may comprise a verticaltower or casing I divided into upper and lower portions 2 and 3. Theupper portion 2 comprises a water-cooling space or evaporation towerprovided with air inlet means such as a duct 4 adjacent the lower endthereof and an exhaust duct 5 adjacent the upper end thereof. The tower2 is preferably divided into two separate evaporation 1 through theagency of a medial partition 8 extending vertically throughout the majorportion of the tower in the direcduct 4. The two portions 6 and i willbe hereinafter designated as primary and secondary evaporating towers,re-

The primary tower 6 is provided with a lower wall 9 which provides aspace at the lower portion of said tower for the accumulation of water,as will be hereinafter described.

The lower portion 3 of the device constitutes an air-cooling or heatexchange portion and may comprise an air duct l provided with an airinlet-duct II and an exhaust duct i2 at opposite sides thereof, and heatexchange means such as a plurality of water tubes i3 extendingtransversely and preferably vertically across the duct iii A circulationof water is provided through therein as inthe tubes i3 from the'lowerend of the tower I,

the water preferably being withdrawn from said tower 1 through a passagei4 into that group of tubes adjacent the exhaust duct l2 and then intoI40, below said group of tubes. The water is then circulated upwardlythrough the group of tubes intermediate the inlet and exhaust ducts iiand aforesaid intermediate group of tubes the water may be caused toenter a header space I4b,.-which may be partitioned from the passage I4by means of a partition l5, and is then passed through that group oftubes adjacent the inlet duct H into a discharge space H, the space l1being separated from the header Mb by a partition IS. The cir-' culatingwater may then be withdrawn from the space I1 and introduced into thetower portion 2 as hereinafter described.

Duct 4 opens into both of v the chambers 6 and 1 as shown in Fig. 5 sothat a substantially equal distribution of air is provided for the twotowers 3 and 'l in the portion 2 of the device, and water spray meanssuch as perforated distributing 1.9 are provided adjacent the upper endof the respective towers, suitable water supply means being provided tosaid troughs in such manner as to effect a withdrawal of water which haspassed through the heat exchange means 3 and introduce the same into theprimary tower 6 to cause a partial cooling thereof, and subsequentlywithdraw the water from the tower and introduce the same into thesecondary tower 1, from whence it recirculates through the heatexchanger 3, being introduced to said heat exchanger through the portionl4 aforesaid. Suitable sc'reenmembers are preferably provided in thetowers 6 and I, as at 20, to assist in promoting contact between thewater and air in said towers. The water-circulating system may comprisea pump 2| communicating with the portion I! of the heat exchanger 3 andadapted to withdraw water therefrom and introduce the i2. After passingthrough the caused to communicate directly C to be cooled, while theexhaust duct 'tions of the cooling trough i8 inthe tower 6 through theagency of a supply line 22. At a point adjacent t -e lower end of thetower 6; as defined by the partition 9, we provide a second pump 23adapted to withdraw water from the lower portion of said tower 6 andintroduce the same into the trough 19 in the secondary tower 1 throughthe agency of a suitable supply line 24. Suitable means may be providedto supply water to the system to make upifor water lost by evaporation.It may be convenient, for example, to supply water automatically fromthe water supply mains by employing a which is operable to above thepartition 9. Due to the fact that the pumpsv 2| and 23 may not maintaina uniform water level in the primary and secondary cooling towers, theremay be a tendency for one or. the other of the towers to load up withwater so that an incorrect amount of makeup water will be supplied tothesystem. In order to obviate such a condition we find it advantageous toprovide an equalizer opening 29 in the partition 8 as shown in Figs. 3and 4 to lizing flow of water between the water bodies in the primaryand secondary towers. Suitable baffle means or deflectors are preferablyprovided above the water-distributing means l8 and I9, as

same into the shown at 25, for the purpose of extracting any largeparticles of water which may be sprayed upwardly from the towers due tothe flow of air from the duct 4 to the duct 5.

The cooling device of the present disclosure may be employed inconnection with either of the above-described arrangements of apparatuselements shown in Figs. 2. As a specific example, the cooling device maybe employed in the relation shown at B and D in Fig. 1, in which ablower A is arranged to supply approximately equal volumes of air to theducts H and 4 (corresponding to the ducts a and a in Fig. 1), and theexhaust duct i2 of the heat exchanger 3 is into the space 5 of theevaporating tower 2 is caused to communicate with the attic or otherwall space G or G. The blower A is caused to pump air from theatmosphere into the respective upper and lower portower, and during thepassage of air through duct It) in the portion 3 of the tower it will bechilled to a temperature closely approximating that produced in thewater which has passed through both the primary and secondaryevaporating tower portions (providing the heat exchange area of thetubes i3 is adequate with respect to the volume of air passed throughthe duct l0) and is increased in relative humidity, but in view of thefact that the air does not come in actual contactwith the water, theabsolute humidity thereof remains unchanged unless the dew point of theatmospheric air is above the temperature. The air supplied at 4 to thetowers 6 and I will effect a cooling of the water discharged from thetroughs i8 and IS, the water withdrawn by the pump 23 from the tower 6being partly reduced in temperature and the water withdrawn from thetower the heat exchange means 3 being cooled to a temperature onlyslightly above the wet-bulb temperature of the air entering at duct 4.

As a specific example, assuming the atmospheric air to have a dry-bulbtemperature of 95 F. and a wet-bulb temperature of '71 F. and

the method of the present invention may be carried out in accordancewith the flow sheet shown in Fig. 1 as follows:

The blower A 11,000 cubic feet per minute and the atmospheric cool thein the neighborhood of 76 F., circulated through the cooler B will serveto cool the 5,500 cubic feet per minuteintroduced to said cooler to adry-bulb temperature of approximately 79 F.

ature approximating 84 perature approximating 68 F. Under these con- Dand the cooler B. derstood that the temperatures given are accordthisfigure is not obtained.

Where an apparatus arrangement such as shown in Fig. 2 is employed, theblower A will C, as above is thus caused to draw in some additlonalatmospheric air.

to one skilled in the art.

In the event that the relative humidity of the atmospheric air is toohigh to C. r A typical set of operating conditions which may be obtainedaccording to the showing in Fig. 2

may be given as follows:

Assuming the atmospheric air to be at a drybulb temperature of 95 and awet-bulb temperature of 71, the dew point being 59, the cooler B may beemployed to cool the 5,500 cubic feet per minute of air to a dry-bulbtemperature of approximately 74 and a wet-bulb temperature of 64".

power under the most severe operating condicomparatively low for anair-conof this capacity.

The actual amount of work accomplished in the ator R is not required tooperate, the present aphorsepower for compared with a unit which dependsal refrigeration to effect the entire "upon mechanic Fig. 6 is somewhatthan the arrangement shown in ir of a lower wet the cooling tower. entof apparatus,

A through a The arrangement showriin more efficient Fig. 1 in that a ispassed through -bulb temperature air may be om'a blower cooler B andintroduced into a spac and introrangement o cost than th more expens ofthe tower H of evaporation tower, it being, realized that the ultimatetemperature to which the water in the tower may be lowered is dependententirely upon the wet-bulb temperature of the air employed forevaporation.

It will be appreciated thatnumerous modifications may be made in theform and arrangement of apparatus herein shown, without departing fromthe contemplation of this invention.- For example, the cool moist airwithdrawn from the evaporating tower shown at D, F, H, and the like, maybe advantageously passed into a wall space other'than the attic space asspecifically shown in Figs. 1 and 2.- Similarly, this cool air may beadvantageously passed in heat-exchanging relation to the atmospheric airwhich is passed into the cooler D, so that the work requirements of isaid cooler are diminished thereby, or where a 1 air exhaust may beemployed -to space adjacent the space above described In Fig. 'l wemodified arrangem oh the primary n in Figs. 3,4, an

merits, each prov According to. this an attic .or 0th under treatment,as

wn a somewhat further ent of apparatus elements in and secondary towembodiment .a e, 1.2 volumes of s one volumethe space E,

lume of air from take as an exampl atmosphere and oler B and into wer Jremoves blower I may air from the through the co a second blorefrigerator unit is used such as shown in Fig. 2, this cool air may bepassed in cooling relation to the power plant R. or to the refrigerantcooling coils associated therewith, as will be apparent to one skilledin the art.

We claim:

The method of air-conditioning an enclosed space, which comprises:passing a stream of fresh air in heat-interchanging, non-contactingrelation with a body of. cooled water so as to cool such fresh airwithout increasing its absolute humidity;

- introducing the so cooled fresh air into said endivided into two undthrough the primary particular arfrom the space E volume and a por- The0.5 volume is tower and the 0.3 the primary towerospheric air rethespace E, whic equal portions and passe and secondary tow rangement, the9.

tion comprisin hrough the se f air is passed into d to the .coo

the space E and supplied closed space; withdrawing from said space asubstantial portion of the cooled air supplied thereto; dividing saidwithdrawn portion into two parts; adding to oneof said parts a quantityof atmospheric air; withdrawing water from said body after passage ofsaid stream of fresh air in heat-interchanging relation and contactingsaid withdrawn water with said one part of withdrawn air containing saidadded air under such conditions as to cool said water by evaporation;bringing the water so cooled into contact with the other part ofwithdrawn air to further'cool said water by evaporation and passing thefurther cooled water into said body of water for the cooling of a furtothe secondary tower is than the mixture thereby in'crea lie-obtainedwith a given supplied to the ther quantity of fresh air.

sing the cooling 7 primary tower,

effect which may- MILTON BARUCH.' RALPH E. PHILLIPS.

